A Siren's Treasure
by ElliebearArts
Summary: Bakugou had always wanted to be the captain of his own ship, but not for the reason you'd think. Mythological Sea Creatures always had interested him, and that dangerous curiosity was one motivator not many were familiar with.


Heat billowed from the rays of the sun as the ship began meandering into the harbor. The summer rays were not usually merciful, and this year was no exception. Being a sailor did have its perks when it came to the heat, though. There was almost always a breeze, brisk and cool when you were out on the sea. There was always the rare occasion of there being little to no wind, but they didn't worry about that too much.

Following closely behind Captain Selkie, Bakugou and his shipmates began grabbing cargo and transferring it to land. It had been a few weeks since they had set sail, and man was it amazing to be back on solid land. He had been training for years to become a sailor, specifically a captain. There was something almost glorious about manning a ship that he wanted so badly. Having complete control over all of your men; Bakugou loved the sound of it, especially the commanding part.

Navigation was his job mainly, creating passage plans. On most nights as well, he would be watchkeeper, tending to the cargo and such. For now, however, he was simply the second mate right after the first mate, Sirius. It wasn't an enchanting job, to say the least, but being the second mate was a good enough title for the time being.

With a heavy sigh and a heavy barrel placed on the dock, Bakugou turned and began taking inventory, another one of his jobs.

After a moment he felt a nudge on his arm. Simply looking out of the corner of his eye, Sirius stood beside him, leaning her arm on his shoulder. She was only a few inches taller than he was, but she relished in it with a smile.

"Oi, Bakugou, the crew and I are going to head out to the pub and probably just get wasted. Wanna come?" She giggled.

"Don't you have shit to do?" He requited, venom in every word. Being the first mate had many more responsibilities than being second. Sirius was just so comfortable in her position, it made him sick.

Sirius let out a hearty laugh before slamming Bakugou on the back, "Captain Selkie wouldn't mind. In fact, he's coming with us." She turned and waved to a small group of their crewmates who was joined with Captain Selkie. He waved back eagerly with a strained look on his face. He must've been trying to make a cute face like he always did, and it never worked.

"Yeah like hell I'm getting drunk tonight. I have so much shit to do, unlike _some _people." He grumbled while continuing his inventory. He waved her away, before giving her a nasty face.

Sirius simply shrugged before waltzing away, "Your loss."

There was no time to waste time like that. If he ever wanted to be captain of his own ship one day, then he better have worked damn hard for it. Out of anyone, he would have thought Sirius would understand. She had been the first mate with captain Selkie for much longer than Bakugou had known both of them. The thing that separated them, though, was the fact that she had settled. Being the first mate was as high as she had thought she _could _go, so she stopped trying to gain her own independence. He couldn't fault her for her loyalty, though. Sirius had been working beside Captain Selkie for most of her life from what he could remember about her. He didn't usually bother getting to know his 'coworkers' but he did observe Sirius. Considering he would become the first mate at some point, he needed to know about how long it would take to surpass even her.

Bakugou's crewmates continued to unload the ship and go about their business. They had the next few weeks to recover before their next big voyage. Usually, his main destination after a long trip was the inn, and that's exactly where he was planning on going. There always was something to see in this kind of city, but Bakugou had no interest in that kind of thing. He had one interest and one interest alone; to become a Captain of his own ship. There was no reason to get to know the land when all he wanted to do is understand the sea. There were so many secrets to be unlocked and the mystery only drew him in more.

He turned to face the sea again, longing to go back. Although he had only been on land for an hour or two, something in the sea was calling him back. He felt a pull on his chest, almost as if someone was tugging on his shirt. Standing on the pier's edge, he slowly sat himself down, dangling his feet off the edge. The muffled commotion of a far away market could be heard in the background. The yelling and whooping of his crewmates faded as they headed to the bar supposedly down the street. Overhead, the caw of seagulls far in the sky added to the ambiance of the small waves crashing against the rocky pier. A smile rested on his face as he saw something breach the water. Dolphins were pretty common in this part of the country, it must've been that. The reflection of the waves must've been playing tricks because he could've sworn the dolphin had been a deep crimson.

Bakugou hadn't realized how hot he had been until sitting still for a moment. You would think being stuck on a ship for such a long period of time would give them some alone time, but running a ship was much more demanding than he had ever thought. There was hardly any time to rest and relax like this. The realization of pure bliss filled his every pore as he gazed at the skyline. He shrugged off the jacket and the gloves he adorned. He had sworn he hadn't needed gloves for heavy lifting. For months he had refused to put the damn things on. One day, however, the blisters and the slivers were too much. Finally, he had given in and one of the mates on deck, Tsuyu, had made a pair of gloves, just for him. He set them to the side and sat in thought. What could be right beneath the waves, he wondered.

There were so many things that were unknown to humans. So many myths and legends had been taught to children and Bakugou was no exception. Ever since he was a child he had aspired to be a sailor, but the myths and legends surrounding the sea could put a pit in anyone's stomach. The prospect of possibly running into huge monsters and deadly creatures somehow enticed, more than it discouraged Bakugou.

He let himself relish in his thought, before grabbing his jacket and swinging it over his shoulder. There was work to be done and there was no point in sitting idly by. Thankfully he had finished with all the inventory, but there was much more to be done. He was usually the one left behind to clean up the ship for the next departure. Of course, he wasn't the only one to clean, that would be cruel. Most everyone made rounds, doing rock, paper, scissors, or bribing each other to see who was unlucky enough to work alongside the nasty Bakugou. He could care less what they had thought about him though, there were simply stepping stones to his ultimate victory. Thankfully they didn't bother him much, not usually. There were the few people who tried to get close to him, but they more often than not would just give up after a few weeks, a few days even.

"Are you already done with the inventory?" A voice asked behind him. He turned to see Tsuyu, a large finger placed on her chin inquisitively.

"Of fucking course. Now I just gotta clean the entire damn ship." He said with a huff. She nodded thoughtfully before looking up at the ocean. There was a long silence between them, and it made Bakugou want to squirm. He looked up at the frog-like girl, wanting to tell her to get lost. Her eyes seemed glassy, distant even, but only for a moment. Turning back to face Bakugou, she shook her head slightly, as if trying to come back to reality.

"Well, if you end up feeling sociable, which I doubt, everyone is going to the pub. I'm not interested in that kind of thing, but it's always fun to get out of your comfort zone." She said with a slight froggish smile.

He only grunted in response, which seemed to please Tsuyu enough.

As soon as he knew she had left, Bakugou stood with a groan wiping his hands on his pant leg. He stared at the open sea for just a moment longer, before turning towards the town. He had to find an inn at some point before it got dark. Who knew who could be lurking out at night. It was obvious that he could take whoever it was, sure. There was no reason to get into a fight really at all, except to release some anger. Of course, he could always get caught by the police, and that was definitely not on his list of priorities.

After walking a few hundred feet away from the pier, Bakugou realized he had left his gloves laying on the dock. He let out a deep frustrated sigh before changing direction and heading back to the docks. It wasn't like him to get so lost in thought. There was just something so… alluring about the sea. It almost felt as if he had been hypnotized by the mere sight of it. He had always loved the sea, but something about this particular part of it felt as if he _needed _to be in the water. Unfortunately for him, he had never really enjoyed swimming of any sort, but something tugged at his chest that he couldn't quite describe.

As he approached, he realized that the gloves were gone, and a large puddle of water took its place. Bakugou glanced around him, and sure enough, there was no one in the vicinity. Sure, there were crewmen leaving to go to the pub, but other than that, the shipyard was empty. Some little brat must've snatched them when he wasn't looking and took off with them. He wouldn't hear the end of this from Tsuyu. She had worked incredibly hard (probably too hard) to finish those gloves for him. Finding the materials and sewing them while on a rocking ship was not the easiest of tasks. He'd have to ask her for another pair...great.

There was no use in looking for them now, he might as well head back to the inn. Turning once more, he began heading to town. Not even taking two steps forward, Bakugou lost his footing on the large puddle and fell on his back with a loud thunk. As his back hit the hard stone, the wind was knocked out of him. A groan ripped through his chest as he clutched his head. Thankfully there weren't any people around, he would never have lived that down.

As he sat up, he swore he could hear a chuckle under the pier.

Over the next week, more and more of Bakugou's items end up missing. Each time he would sit out on the dock, something would disappear. Not only his gloves but a hat, a shoe, even a copy of his inventory list. You would think he would've learned from the first few times, but somehow, someone still got the best of him. Every time.

Some kid either really desperately needed an inventory list, or some stupid brat just really liked to steal shit from people. He was going to get the bottom of it either way.

As the sun began to set behind the vast openness of the waves, Bakugou sat in wait. He had placed his bait; a pair of shoes. He had already lost a pair of shoes to whoever had been bold enough to run off with them. Though at the time the burglar has decided they had only need of one shoe and left one behind completely filled with water.

He placed the shoes haphazardly on the edge of the port. They were not flashy in any form of the word. They were his work shoes, completely tattered and torn, a large hole in the bottom. How he managed to keep them this long, he wasn't sure. Considering he worked on a boat of all things, these shoes were less than valuable to him. Every step that he would take in these nasty shoes would fill the soles and socks within with water. Either way, if he did lose them or not, he needed new ones badly.

Standing in wait, Bakugou concealed himself behind the nearest building. It was a few hundred feet away from the dock, but that didn't phase him. Running was one of his strong suits, and he knew he could outrun whoever it was who was taking his things. He supposed it was only a little kid, that theory made sense to him. Who else would steal only _one _shoe? Either someone extremely stupid or a little kid who didn't know any better.

The shadows began to become darker as the sun had dipped behind the horizon. The quiet chirp of crickets could be heard in the back alleyways and fields behind the buildings. The quiet commotion of the bar could be heard in the distance, he wondered if any of his crewmates were there again tonight. Kids whooping and yelling within the town square, there must have been a celebration of some kind taking place. Without warning, fireworks began going off near the town square. It was loud enough to make Bakugou jump. He had completely forgotten; it was the summer solstice. He turned for only a brief moment to admire the glorious explosions in the sky. There were reds, blues, even greens, it was stunning.

Suddenly at the dock, a quiet splash caught Bakugou's attention. His head whipped around to see a large clawed hand inching towards the shoes. It felt as if his heart had stopped. It wasn't a person that was stealing his possessions; It was a _thing. _Before he even realized, Bakugou was sprinting towards the creature. The curiosity masked his fear as he approached rapidly. Somehow the creature hadn't noticed Bakugou advancing, for it continued for the shoe at a snail's pace.

Without even a second thought, Bakugou snatched the wrist of the thief, his lips curling with a snarl. The creature stared back up at him, horror in its face while still gripping the shoe. Time seemed to stop for a moment between them. He couldn't take rip his eyes off of the crimson ones staring back at him. Bakugou could hear his thundering heartbeat in his ears as he dryly swallowed. This is what his parents had warned him about.

Bakugou looked the creature up and down. It looked... Human; Well, not quite. Dazzling red scales covered the cheekbones of an incredibly handsome, human-looking face. His face was chiseled and sharp, his piercing gaze drilled into Bakugou with such brilliance. Long red hair that fell to his shoulders stuck to his wet cheeks. Scales trailed down his shoulders and the sides of his torso, leading down his hips. Aside from the scales and intensely sharp claws he adorned, he was semi-human looking in nature.

"What the hell are you?" Bakugou growled, pulling the creature farther out of the water.

"I didn't think that these items belonged to anyone!" The creature yelped, glancing at the shoe that was still in their commandeered hand. It began squirming slightly, it's wet skin making it easier to get loose.

"That didn't fucking answer my question," Bakugou said, tightening his grip. There was no way in hell he was going to let a specimen like this get away without at least _some _information. He felt a smile creep on his face; of all the people in the world, he was the one who gets to see a real-life monster from the sea.

A sudden boom blasted behind them, the fireworks continuing. The reflection off of the creature's scales were dazzling. They shimmered with a tint of gold and for a moment, Bakugou forgot the situation that was panning out in front of him as he stared in awe of the beauty of the _thing _that he had in his grip.

Suddenly the creature's demeanor changed. A large grin revealed razor-sharp teeth that caused Bakugou's stomach to churn. He hadn't planned this out too well, had he?

"Oh, I like you, little spitfire." The creature purred, inching closer to Bakugou's face with an intensity that caused a heat to rush to Bakugou's cheeks. Instinctively Bakugou let go of the creature's wrist, And for some reason, it stayed there. Better yet, it inched even closer, almost to the point of their noses touching. Bakougou froze, not out of fear mind you, out of pure adrenaline and curiosity.

"Fascinating." It breathed, its eyes darting from Bakugou's eyes to his lips and back up again.

An unintentional stranged noise came from Bakugou's throat as a slimy hand brushed over his hand that leaned on the dock. This was actually happening. There was a strange, unbelievably handsome sea creature inches away from his face, and the only thing he could do was stop and stare. It was a trap, sirens and alarms screamed in his head, but he was transfixed.

Snapping him out of his trance, the creature brushed a finger across Bakugou's cheek and snatched the shoes next to them with a devilish grin. "I'll be taking these, thank you very much!" It laughed as pushed itself away from the pier, the shoes in hand.

"Hey! Fuckin', Wait!" Bakugou screeched,

The creature just smiled and raised the shoes into the air. And with that, It disappeared into the water, the golden sheen if his scales slowly fading as the creature swam down the depths.

Bakugou sat back on his heels, Still trying to wrap his head around what the _hell_ just happened. The myths, the legends, the tales. It happened. It was all real. The intense choppy seas, the screams of the crew, the goal he had been working toward his entire life. It was all suddenly being justified.

He looked down at the hand that the creature touched, only to see small red sparkling scales had stuck to his skin.


End file.
